SUPPORTING NEW YORK’S GROWING FILM INDUSTRY
with its floating, vertical village dubbed ‘wildflower studios,’ bjarke ingels group / BIG presents a milestone for the film industry in new york city. led by robert de niro, the studios are currently under construction in queens. the project will become the first ground-up, purpose-built production soundstage in new york city, and will at once become the first vertical film studio in the world.
adam gordon, managing partner, wildflower studios comments: ‘we are determined to create a world-class content creation campus in queens. it speaks to telling stories in all forms; streaming, AR, VR, and gaming, with a building design that looks toward the future.’
THE VERTICAL STAGES BY BJARKE INGELS GROUP
sited in astoria, queens — less than two miles from manhattan — ‘wildflower studios’ by bjarke ingels group (see more here) will rise seven stories. the project will function as a combined film, television, production, and creative studio complex and will total 775,042 square feet. it will include eleven sound stages, 310 off-street parking spaces, and a waterfront esplanade open to the public.
the construction has come at a time of rapid growth among new york’s film and television industries. the complex will thus help to satisfy the overwhelming demand for a large production studio in new york city.
bjarke ingels comments on the spirit of the wildflower studios projects: ‘we are excited to continue our work with wildflower to bring film production back to new york city in a way that has never been done before. the vertical media production village will be home to storytellers working across all mediums — a three-dimensional hub of collaboration, creativity, and innovation.
‘while new york city is no stranger to being the star of many visual stories — the city effectively a character in itself — this first ground-up vertical production stage complex marks a new chapter in the city’s ability to create the stories of our future.’
THE DESIGN OF THE WILDFLOWER STUDIOS
the team at bjarke ingels group further integrates a mix of ancillary spaces into its wildflower studios. these include a range of stages, production-support areas, open and private offices, fitness room, cafes and lounges — the design aims to facilitate the best creative work possible by providing dynamic spaces for collaboration and connection.
outside, the 145-foot-tall building will be clad with precast concrete panels, set at angles that create an animated effect on the building façade as the angle of the sun changes through the day. two open-air terraces puncture the façade providing an outdoor connection to the waterfront, natural daylight, and views of the manhattan skyline. the building’s roof will include a 150,000 square foot solar panel footprint.